Maita Eyzaguirre ’14’s passion for musical composition began only three years ago when she fell in lovewith the simple 16-measure composition assignments she was given in her Music 235-A class. With a musical background and skills on the piano and viola, Eyzaguirre challenged herself with every assignment, working extensively to make her compositions as complex and interesting as possible.
Since then, she has taken full advantage of the music programs at Andover, joining the Academy Orchestras, leading the student-run ensemble “Resonate,” performing her original pieces in chamber music concerts, and excelling in AP Music Theory.
“To me, there’s no feeling quite like hearing your music come tolife,” she said. “Composing music gives me the opportunity to make something uniquely my own and turn my dreams and inner thoughts into a reality.”
The road to musical success for Eyzaguirre was not easy. Eyzaguirre decided to further her newfound interest in classical composition by enrolling in composition lessons through Andover’s Music Department. Taking lessons opened Eyzaguirre up to a world of music making and placed her in a stimulating environment where she was surrounded by other talented artists, students and teachers.
“[The lessons] really made me realize that I absolutely loved making music,” said Eyzaguirre. “Those were what began my passion for composition. I remember realizing that there was so much more to do with music than simply sit down and practice it on the piano or the viola. I found that rather boring. What really excited me was composing, making my own unique musical melodies.”
Drawing inspiration from existing music, her own ideas and the world around her, Eyzaguirre quickly mastered the process of composing musical masterpieces.
“Once I have an idea in my head of what the song will sound like, I start thinking about which instruments work well together and which instruments I feel like using,” she said. “When I have an instrument or a group of instruments, I start thinking about what that instrument can do and what sounds and emotions that instrument can evoke. From there, I either start writing or come up with a structure.”
After Eyzaguirre acquired the skills she needed to compose music, she became involved with music at Andover on a deeper level.
“I was never completely captivated or fully immersed in music until I came to Andover,” said Eyzaguirre, who believes Andover has been the defining segment of her musical career thus far. “Here, I not only got to learn as much as I could in classes and lessons from wonderful and experienced teachers, but I was given countless opportunities to proudly showcase what I had learned.”
A defining moment in Eyzaguirre’s musical career so far was when the concert band performed her “Band Piece” at a Student Composers’ Colloquium Concert this year. After spending months laboring over every note of the piece, Eyzaguirre was given the opportunity to choose student musicians who would bring the composition to life.
“One of my proudest moments as a composer was realizing that my ‘Band Piece’ was going to be performed by the concert band,” said Eyzaguirre. “After presenting my piece to a panel of music teachers and finding out that it would be performed, I realized how something that would have been completely unattainable before Andover became an exciting reality.”
A favorite piece of Eyzaguirre’s is a voice and piano piece she wrote and dubbed “Russian Song.” The piece adds a musical melody to an Alexander Pushkin poem entitled “Autumn” she learned from Kassie Archambault, Fellow in Russian.
“My Russian song was the first song I wrote here that had a really clear peak and correctly set text,” said Eyzaguirre. “My Russian song made each syllable of the poem fall on a strong beat. The music also reflected the significance of the poem. The first stanza of Pushkin’s ‘Autumn’ talked about the arrival of October and how although it is cold, the speaker loves it because it is an exciting time. I feel as though my composition really captured that feeling.”
Eyzaguirre plans to continue composition in college. She will be attending the Eastman School of Music and pursuing a dual-degree with the University of Rochester.
“My wonderful experiences at Andover have always inspired me to persevere and do everything to the best of my ability,” said Eyzaguirre. “The support I have gotten from my teachers and fellow composers has been crucial in my development as a musician and as a person. That support will carry me on through college and beyond.”